Doctoral Dissertation Research in DRMS: Global Climate Change: Risk Perceptions and Behavior

该项目将以全球气候变化为例，研究情感意象和文化世界观在风险感知、决策和行为中的作用。过去的研究主要集中在认知因素的作用，如知识、心理模型和一般环境信念在气候变化风险感知中的作用。然而，最近的研究也开始关注情感因素的作用。这个项目将开发和测试情感图像分析作为一种创新的方法，从认知和情感两个维度来研究公众的风险感知。此外，文化理论家认为，文化世界观也是重要的因素，需要包括作为解释变量。这个项目将对文化理论的预测进行操作和检验。最后，许多研究人员认为风险感知和行为是相关的，但很少有针对性的研究。本研究将以气候变化为案例研究，验证这一假设。这个项目还解决了几个应用问题：美国公众是否认为全球气候变化是一个严重的风险？他们具体害怕什么？这些风险认知是否转化为个人行动和/或对缓解政策的支持？这项研究将有助于对全球气候变化的持续讨论，科学家和政策制定者试图找到科学上适当和公众可接受的解决方案来解决这一全球问题。

This project will investigate the roles of affective imagery and culturalworldviews in risk perception, decision-making and behavior, using globalclimate change as a case study. Past research has focused on the role ofcognitive factors like knowledge, mental models and general environmentalbeliefs in risk perceptions of climate change. Recent research, however, hasalso begun to focus on the role of affective factors. This project willdevelop and test affective image analysis as an innovative method to studypublic risk perceptions along both cognitive and affective dimensions.Additionally, cultural theorists argue that cultural worldviews are alsoimportant factors and need to be included as explanatory variables. Thisproject will operationalize and test the predictions of cultural theory.Finally, many researchers assume that risk perceptions and behaviorscorrelate, yet little focused research has been done. This research willtest this assumption, using climate change as a case study.This project also addresses several applied questions: Does the Americanpublic perceive global climate change as a serious risk? What specificallydo they fear about it? Do these risk perceptions translate into personalactions and/or support for mitigation policies? This research willcontribute to the continuing discussion on global climate change, asscientists and policymakers attempt to find scientifically appropriate andpublicly acceptable solutions to this global problem.